|
pasta I
preferred: noodles or fusilli. Can you imagine having your choice? Then he
brought two (not one, but two) loaves of gluten-free bread for me alone (I was
the only gluten-free diner in the whole group of 30 people). The loaves were so
big that I shared several bites with my curious colleagues and still enough for
myself. I saved the remaining loaf and ate it the next day at lunch.
But back
to the meal. For antipasto, we each had a platter of special Italian meats and
cheeses. Then we were served big platters of fresh buffalo mozzarella, which was
fantastic. The fried appetizers I had to avoid, but that was OK.
Then
came the pasta course--mine with fresh tomatoes as the sauce. My plate was covered in pasta, enough for a family of
four. After that course was cleared came the meats: each of us had a plate of
veal and lamb. Those plates were cleared, then came the mixed greens salad (yes,
they eat it AFTER the main course, not before as we do). By this time I'm
starting to get full.
Then
each of us got a bowl of fresh fruit, steeped in liqueur (possibly lemoncello).
After that was cleared, came the baba rhum (which was not gluten-free). Baba
rhum is a yeasted cake, soaked in rum. Then espresso and finally, a round of
lemoncello liqeur for everybody. It was 12:30 AM, we had been eating for about 4
hours and we still had the bus ride
back to our hotels. I literally collapsed into bed at 1:30 AM, tired, happy, and
deliciously full.
After
the conference one day, I walked to a nearby Pharmacia (like our pharmacy or drug
store), which carried several gluten-free products. I was able to buy crackers
and pasta, which was corn-based and quite delicious. It was a brand that I
haven't seen in the U.S.
In my
hotel, the dinner menus were marked with gluten-free items and, while I
didn't get gluten-free bread, I had plenty of choices for entrees. At breakfast,
which is usually served as a buffet in Europe, I had plenty of choices (although
no baked goods). All in all, I would say the Italians handle the gluten-free
diet quite well.
Bob's
Red Mill Cooking School
I taught two cooking classes
at the cooking school at
Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie,
OR this month. The first
class focused on Savory
Breads, many of which will
be featured in my
forthcoming book, 1000
Gluten-Free Recipes (Wiley,
Fall, 2008).
We made Irish Soda Bread
(see Wheat-Free Recipes &
Menus and Gluten-Free 101
for the recipe). It is a
yeast-free bread and can be
used for sandwiches or
morning toast. We also made
a Farinata, which is a
chickpea flour-based
flatbread (flavored
with sage and onions) which
bakes very fast in a skillet
in the oven and is very
versatile. It is typically
served in Italy and in
France it's called Socca. An
Old-Fashioned Molasses Quick
Bread was also demonstrated
and it makes a great
yeast-free bread for dinner,
especially with a hearty
stew. The recipes are in the
forthcoming 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes, as
well.
Since Bob's Red Mill had
just introduced their new
gluten-free rolled oats and
steel-cut oats, we
demonstrated their use as
well. For yeast breads, one
of the new ideas I learned
from one of the students was
to sprinkle the greased loaf
pan with rolled oats. Then
lightly oil the top of the
bread dough and sprinkle
with more rolled oats. When
baked, these oats provide a
lovely crunch and marvelous
additional nutrition and
fiber. It makes the loaf
look and taste more like the
gluten bread we once ate.
We also made a delicious
pilaf, using the new
steel-cut oats. The recipe
is at the Bob's Red Mill web
site at
https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipe/detail.php?rid=1429.
I know you will love it;
just be sure to rinse the
cooked oats before seasoning
them or they will look like
oatmeal, rather than
individual pieces of oats.
This is one of my favorite
ways of using the new
gluten-free oats, so give it
a try.
Food
for Thought
|
"If
you have knowledge, let
others light their
candles in it."----Margaret
Fuller, journalist and
women's right advocate
|
Where
in the World is Carol?
Cooking
classes at Bob's Red Mill and a business trip to Italy took place in September.
In October, I am doing a book signing for my latest book, Gluten-Free Quick &
Easy, at the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore, MD. Then, I'm speaking
with Shelley Case to dietitians at the American Dietetic Association annual meetings on how to
get more whole grains into the gluten-free diet.
|